Coronavirus update: the latest news from East Midlands businesses
Innes England is celebrating the success of two of its young professionals who have qualified as members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) during lockdown.
Harriett Dexter and Andrew Smith, who are both graduates from the University of Reading and work in the firm’s Professional Services team, passed the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) in lockdown. The qualification requires a minimum of two years’ structured training, including practical experience and a written submission, leading to full membership of the RICS.
The final assessment interview is usually face-to-face with a panel of assessors but, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, the RICS decided to deliver all assessment interviews online until the end of July.
Andrew Smith, who is a rating expert and is also a member of the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) said: “I’m delighted and relieved to finally achieve chartered status.
“Once the Skype interview was underway, everything worked fine with no technical hiccups. It was a useful distraction to worry about the technology rather than the interview. I just had to get on with it when it started. Our in-house study sessions and mock interview helped to ensure I was fully prepared. I’m now looking forward to continuing my career with the firm as a qualified surveyor.”
Harriett Dexter passed the APC at her first attempt. “I’m proud to have passed my APC first time,” she said. “The support and guidance from the team at Innes England has been invaluable and has helped me with this achievement.
“Every month everyone involved in the scheme meets to discuss different topics and share ideas and I’ve gained experience in all aspects of work.”
Head of professional services Steve Holland said: “The APC is, quite rightly, a challenging assessment. The national first-time pass rate on the valuation pathway is about 50% so qualifying as a chartered surveyor is a fantastic achievement and marks an important career milestone.
“We firmly believe in nurturing home-grown talent and we’re proud to support our graduates throughout the learning process. They gain a great deal of confidence and experience, which prepares them well for when they qualify.”
UK casing and packaging manufacturer, Trifibre, has secured support from HSBC UK through facilities including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
Trifibre is a specialist in supplying cases as well as storage and handling solutions to the medical sector. Since the start of the pandemic, the company has been manufacturing cases, packaging and foam products for medical equipment including Covid-19 testing kits as well as PPE for both the NHS and its suppliers.
The funding from HSBC UK will be used to support the business’s overheads during this period of uncertainty.
Chris Cox, managing director at Trifibre, said: “Like so many other businesses, we have had adapt during this period but with the additional support from HSBC UK we feel we are in a position to be able to push forward, safe in the knowledge that we are in the best position possible to resume ‘business as usual’ once the country comes out of lockdown.”
Kate Beretta, HSBC UK Relationship Director East Midlands Corporate Banking, added: “HSBC UK is committed to supporting its customers during this period of uncertainty and we were delighted to be able to support Trifibre with the additional facilities as the business looks to embark on new manufacturing projects. With every business facing different challenges, it’s important we tailor each package to give customers the best solution to their individual circumstances.”
Stewart Vandermark
Locked in with… Stewart Vandermark, Nelsons
Who are you locked in with?
My wife and two sons, aged 8 and 12.
How has the lockdown and working from home been for you so far?
It’s been okay, thank you – our IT systems and paperless working at Nelsons have made the transition fairly seamless. However, like everyone I speak to, you realise how much the buzz and company of others while in the office helps keep you motivated and working at your best. Fortunately, I have had an exceptionally busy period, which has meant I’ve been speaking to lots of people and this has has helped me a lot. I am also helped by my wife, who has taken on home schooling and child care – although I am working in the room where the Xbox lives (much to the annoyance of my 12 year old)! I empathise with parents trying to juggle work and home schooling – it is a tough challenge.
What has been the best thing about staying in?
It has been great avoiding the Nottingham traffic chaos we were experiencing at the start of the year. But from the national perspective now, it does not look such a big deal as it did when Clifton Bridge was closed and Nottingham became the world’s most congested city for a day. When busy and not on the phone, it is good to be able to put some music on and work uninterrupted in a relaxed home environment. It has also led to the discovery of simpler pleasures with opportunities now so limited – although we have decided family Monopoly is a step too far as, even in these times, it tends to always end badly.
And what have you missed the most?
The buzz of the great team of people I work with. I also like to get out the house at weekends – whether for the boys’ football, for a coffee somewhere, or to pop out for a meal. We are also involved in our local church, so being locked in generally is proving a challenge without my usual activities to get me out of the house. I am definitely missing football – what was turning into a triumphant march to the Premier League title for Liverpool FC – and I was also following Nottingham Forest’s promotion push closely. I am also going to miss what was close to my dream Glastonbury line up when we get to the summer. We had a great holiday booked in Dubrovnik that I had been looking forward to, which now looks unlikely, so that’s another disappointment.
What previously essential thing have you realised is not actually essential?
It’s strange how we took so much for granted that I never expected we would have to go without – company, a social life, an office. We are all finding creative ways to try and replicate these, although none are quite the same experience. I never thought I would get through a day without a decent latte from a good coffee shop – but I have, and I’ve learned to live without.
What are the changes you’ve made that you plan on continuing when restrictions are lifted?
Like the rest of world, I think video technology has found a place with us. Our offices are in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester so we have always held physical meetings, but I can now see us making use of this sort of technology as it works well and will save a lot of travel and interruption. I have also been communicating daily with teams through our intranet, which reminded me of my aspirations when I began in my role to write a weekly blog, which I fell out of the habit of but am now keen to now continue. The ability to communicate what is happening across the company and remind people of our vision, values, behaviours and purpose has, I think, been a powerful tool. I want to really embed those and illustrate their importance to our culture.
Have you made progress on any of your bucket list items?
I don’t really have a bucket list – but I have always had a vague life aspiration that I may, someday, get to listen to all of the Bob Dylan Bootleg Box Sets I have been acquiring but never seem to get the chance to listen to. And if now isn’t finally the time to watch The Sopranos, I don’t know when is!
What is the first thing you will do when isolation ends?
If we can get a table anywhere then I’d like to take my wife and children for a decent meal. From a work perspective, I still owe everyone cakes for my birthday and plan to celebrate when we are all back together. Not just for my birthday but also to say a huge thank you to everyone for being team players with a real can-do attitude, which has got us through this unprecedented time. A quiet moment would be appropriate as well to not only be thankful for those in our lives who have helped us through this, but also to reflect on a period of our lives that is bound to change the way we live from here on in, and which will have had a major impact on the lives of many people.
